Radiance of Time
by Starry Requiem
Summary: Radiant Garden, a once beautiful world fell into the ruins that was once known as Hollow Bastion, only to be restored once again to it's former glory. Though much has changed, our hearts will always be home. / 50 moments. WishingDreamer5's Challenge.
1. Restoration

Hi. I'm back with another challenge. I'm still going to do more. Just deciding between two, but knowing me I'll probably go with both.. I'm addicted.

This is WishingDreamer5's Radiant Garden challenge. 50 drabbles all about Radiant Garden and it's residents! I'm very excited. Shall we get started? xP

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><p><strong>Radiance of Time<strong>  
>:: number one<em>. restoration ::<em>

A smile slowly graced his lips. _Home. _He was home again. Leon kept a cool and calm attitude, but on the inside he was screaming.

It was over. It was all over.

They were home again.

But instead of blue skies, he saw grey. Instead of blooming flowers and the almost-constant smell of spring in the air, it was rubble and rust.

All these years, he pictured his return to be different. Everything would be the same… and look the same.

And she would be there.

But with a little _work _and _effort, _everything would be perfect again.

Perfect was the only word to describe it.

Leon closed his eyes, thinking back to all those years ago. Though he was only a kid back then, if only he could have realized how good he had it.

But Leon would give up everything, the blue skies and the gardens and the waterfalls for her. Everything.

But her warm smiles and gentle touches was nowhere to be found…

Looking up as the sky opened up to reveal the blue skies and sunshine, he continued to smile as if it were some kind of sign.

With a little restoration, everything would be perfect again.

But the most important thing…

_"Home." _ Leon repeated quietly.

Aerith turned towards him, to see the usually stoic swordsman with the lightest smile. He turned his head, and she returned the smile.

She nodded. "Home."

It felt right.


	2. Flowers

**Radiance of Time**  
>:: number two<em>. flowers ::<em>

The restoration began by clearing up the rubble, repairing some of the old buildings. Things were slowly taking shape, everyone had their own job.

Everyone was busy taking their next step, and now it was time for her contribution. But what? Looking around, everything was a dull rust color. There was no pop of color.

In the pit of her heart, Aerith felt empty. If she closed her eyes, and thought back to Radiant Garden in it's original form… all she could see was flowers.

Flowers everywhere. The beautiful waterfalls and clear blue skies complimented the bright, colorful gardens.

This would be her step.

Somewhere in the bailey she found a empty spot, free of rubble and just plain, empty ground and soil. Smiling, Aerith stepped towards it and fell to her knees. Her next step.

With bare hands, she dug through the dirt and then let the flower seeds fall through her fingers.

As she slowly began to close the hole, she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

Aerith turned her head, and immediately smiled. "Cloud."

He nodded as in a form of a greeting. Slowly the swordsman walked closer behind her, awkwardly scratching his head. "What are you doing?"

"Gardening." She replied, a sweet smile on her face as she began to pat the soil. "Would you like to help?"

Cloud blinked and then slowly, awkwardly nodded. "Sure."

She patted the ground next to her, and he slowly kneeled down. "What do I do?"

Aerith handed him the seeds as they began to dig through another hole, and together they did it. Of course, Cloud needed a little guidance, but she didn't mind.

When they were done, she picked up the watering can and let it sprinkle all over the soil. Aerith placed it down, and turned towards Cloud. "One step at a time, everything will be good again…"

Slowly pulling her in an embrace, Cloud nodded. "We'll do it together."


	3. Ninja

**Radiance of Time**  
>:: number three<em>. ninja ::<em>

For some reason, despite the fact that _he _was in charge of the schedule, Leon got partnered up with Yuffie for Heartless duty.

They wandered around the bailey aimlessly, and today seemed to be quite a boring day. Thank heavens.

Heartless Duty could either be very dull, or a very big handful. There was no in-between, either there was not a Heartless in sight or there were swarms.

At the moment, everything was calm, quiet and peaceful. Except for Yuffie's constant blabber, but for the past two minutes or so, she's been quiet.

Leon raised an eyebrow. Quiet. Yuffie has been quiet. Very unusual.

Looking over his shoulder, the teenaged girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Yuffie!" Leon called, searching around.

"Squall!" Yuffie's voice cried from afar, "Squall! C'mere, quick!"

"Yuffie!" Leon yelled back, now panicked. He ran in the direction where her voice called from as fast as he could.

Could it be Heartless? Ansem? The Organization? She was just a kid, he had to get there quick…

He wouldn't lose another.

"Squall!" She continued to cry.

After turning another corner, he found the girl standing in a large puddle of water, caused by the broken pipes above.

"Yuffie!" He panted, "What happened? Where are they?"

Yuffie blinked, grinning. "Who's they? I just wanted to show you this cool waterfall!"

Leon began to scowl. "That's not a waterfall, it's the broken pipes leaking out wa-"

She splashed him.

Immediately, Yuffie regretted the decision as he began to get the '_I'm-Squall-and-I-Don't-Play-These-Foolish-Games-You-Child-oh-by-the-way-it's-Leon' _look.

"Aww, come on Squall. Have a little fun…" She pouted.

Leon sighed, stepping out of the water, disgusted at the fact that his boots were now ruined. "We have no time for this."

"Okayyy, okay." Yuffie pouted as she slowly began to walk towards him, but made sure to splash herself in every single puddle as possible.

Leon turned on his heel, beginning to walk away until he heard a squeak out of Yuffie.

"Oooohh!" Yuffie spinned, staring down at her reflection in the puddle. "I would so date me…"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Let's go." He repeated, sternly.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'." She sighed, skipping after him as they began to walk back toward the bailey. "Hey, Squallie. Wouldn't you _so _date me if you were a boy?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"It's Leon." He muttered, ignoring the question whilst lowering his head.

"Well you know what I mean!" Yuffie sighed, wailing her arms about.

No answer.

She pouted. "You need to learn how to have some fun, Squallie. Heartless duty is so boring, and those puddles _were _so fun! But I guess leave it to the greeaatttt ninja Yuffie to find something 'uper-duper fun to do, and 'ol _LEON _to ruin it, eh?"

"I suppose so." He replied with the slightest smirk.


	4. Baby

**Radiance of Time**  
>:: number four<em>. baby ::<em>

She was just going about her daily routine, until she passed by Yuffie's room where the door was shut in typical teenaged fashion. Aerith paid no attention, until she heard said teenaged girl beginning to speak...

_"A little more to the right.."_

_"Oh yeah, that's it."_

_"Perfect!"_

_"Yeah, just like that!"_

Aerith's eyes became as wide as saucers. But.. she had to be imagining this. I mean, not… Yuffie?

_"Leon!" pantpant, "You're going to DROP ME!"_

_"Don't worry, I got you." _Leon assured, his voice echoing throughout Aerith's ears.

She lifted a hand in her mouth, absolutely frightened. Should she… open the door?

Then… silence.

Until came Yuffie's sudden shriek.

_"AW YEAH BABY!"_

Horrified, Aerith slammed open the door, shielding her eyes as she didn't know what to expect. What she was greeted was thankfully _not _what she was expecting.

Yuffie was on Leon's shoulders with her arms triumphantly in the air. "Whoohoo, we did it Squallie!.. Oh, hi Aerith!"

Aerith blinked, eyeing them up and down. "W-What's going on here?"

Leon sighed, lowering his head toward the ground. His two hands were gripped around Yuffie's legs as they were wrapped around his shoulders. "Can you get down now?" He asked in a low, mutter-y tone.

"Sure thing!" She grinned, easily gliding off with a hop.

"What's up?" The ninja asked, turning towards Aerith now that she was down on the ground.

"What's going on?" Aerith repeated herself.

"Oh, nothing. I kind of threw one of my shurikens too far back on my wardrobe last night, and I couldn't reach that high so I had Squallie help me."

"Why didn't you just get a ladder?" Aerith asked.

Yuffie blinked, almost seeming embarrassed and appalled that she'd even _suggest _such a thing. "Not after LAST TIME." She hissed, but looked back and forth between Leon and Aerith herself, in a 'I-will-not-have-this-discussion-with-you-in-front-of-Leon' fashion.

Slowly, Aerith nodded, switching her gaze from the ninja to Squall. "Well that was very kind of you to help Yuffie."

Said man was, however, not as cool and calm as his teenaged friend, and appeared to be a flustered mess. "Don't mention it," He replied monotonously, storming out of the romo

Aerith sighed. Typical Leon. "What's up with him?"

Yuffie just grinned. "He just can't resist my _charms_, obviously."

Aerith could only smile. Typical Yuffie.


	5. Eyes

**Radiance of Time**  
>:: number five<em>. eyes ::<em>

It was spring cleaning around Radiant Garden. And Aerith went absolutely _nuts _when it came to spring cleaning day.

Everyone had to do their part around the house, which was _dumb_. Absolutely insane!

"Okay, Yuffie." Aerith began with a sigh, "I'm going to give you a very _simple _task. Okay?"

Yuffie sighed, nodding.

"Do the dishes." Aerith said plain-and-simply. "That's it. There's not that many… I think you can do that, right?"

Once again, the teenaged girl sighed and nodded.

Aerith frowned. "You know what? It's okay. You probably can't handle it… I'll just do it." She trailed off, beginning to walk toward the kitchen to fulfill said duty.

Yuffie narrowed her eyes, her mouth falling open in shock. "Wait, Aerith!" She squealed now, running after the woman. "I can do it! Piece of cake!"

Aerith shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll do it." She smiled, turning on the sink as she waited for the water to go warm.

Yuffie began to wave her arms about in typical-crazy-Yuffie fashion. "Nooo! Pleeasseee let me do the dishes! I can do it, really! It's spring cleaning and everyone else is doing something. Even SQUALL! Squall is cleaning and you just expect me to sit back and do nothing? YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME, AERITH, YOU CAN'T!"

The girl fell to her knees, clinging tightly to Aerith's leg as she pleaded and begged.

Said woman only blinked and couldn't help but to crack a smile. "Okay, you can do the dishes."

"Yay!" Yuffie hopped back up to her own two feet, smiling.

Aerith walked out of the kitchen, shaking her head as she went off to perform other springly-cleaning-duties.

Then as Yuffie found herself completely alone and abandoned in the kitchen with a stack of dirty dishes and running water, she felt helpless.

Slowly she reached for a plate, grabbing it oh-so-delicately and almost as if she were disgusted as she began to run it under the water.

She never did this before. Like, really. Who had time to do dishes when there were so many other important things to tend to? Quite frankly, Aerith always did this stuff. She was always fighting Heartless or bothering Leon or Cid or _something_.

Yuffie slowly reached for the bottle of yellow dish soap (and she was quite taken with the color, if you were wondering.) and squirted far more than she probably should have and began to… er, 'spread' it around with her hands.

"Eww." She muttered, noticing that she was getting food fragments on her hands. This wasn't going well.

Oh, she was supposed to wear gloves.

Well that made sense.

And use a sponge.

That just completed the picture.

After deciding that she didn't need the gloves, because only _sissies _used those, she grabbed the sponge and quite frankly, had her way with the dishes.

As Leon passed through the halls, he heard the sound of metal hitting the ground and glass shattering. He raised an eyebrow, stepping into the kitchen.

His jaw dropped, as he saw Yuffie in a panic.

"Don't worry, I got this!" She exclaimed, a total mess. The water was still running and she left a half-clean half-dirty dish running under the water in the sink, as she scurried to pick up the forks and fragments of glass.

"OW" She cried when she accidentally scraped her palm with the glass.

Leon stood in the doorway, in complete shock. "Here…" He muttered, shutting off the water as he kneeled down to help Yuffie. "Are you okay?"

The teenaged girl pouted, holding her hand. "Of course I am. It's nothing."

After bandaging Yuffie's hand and cleaning up the glass, Leon (unhappily) helped Yuffie with the dishes. He wore the gloves.


	6. Mischief

Thanks everyone for the reviews! I really appreciate it. :) This chapter is in memory of the Dalmatian Puppies in Traverse Town in KH1. I can't quite remember exactly, but did Leon have anything to do with them? I think he tells Sora about them… or gives him a puppy? I'm not sure. Haha, anyway, onto the story!

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><p><strong>Radiance of Time<strong>  
>:: number six<em>. mischief ::<em>

Pets. Leon hated them. There wasn't a point to having one. A dog, a cat, a parakeet. None. All they did was eat, sleep, cry, and make… messes.

Like a baby.

If he wanted a baby, he would give birth to one.

He hated pets.

He could close his eyes, remembering back to all those years ago when he was a teenager. Almost everyone seemed to have a pet.

Tifa had a cat that seemed to _love _leather and would literally _leap _and scratch and _claw _at his belts and pants whenever Leon would step foot into the house.

All she did was laugh and didn't even bother to help.

Aerith had a cat as well, but as least hers was a bit more tame and didn't really do much… a waste.

Rinoa had a parakeet that wouldn't shut up. He'd remember scowling everytime the bird made the lightest of sounds, and she would just pout and talk about the beauty of the birds. Something about it's wings.

Now, he begrudgingly sat on the couch in Merlin's house next to a dog. Who's dog? Yuffie's, of course. She found the mutt wandering the lonely streets, and 'afraid that it was going to get attacked by a heartless', she brought it in due to her typical mischievous ways.

The dog still didn't have a name, but she was torn between Sephy or… _Squallie_. Both names made him sick to his stomach, but for heaven's sake did he pray that she chose Sephy.

Leon flipped through the channels, trying to ignore the dog as much as possible. Without paying much attention, he supposed that he must have gotten distracted by a commercial or something and stood on a channel.

Blinking, suddenly waking up to reality, he realized that he was on a… er, rated-r commercial.

Embarrassed, he changed the channel and the dog began to bark.

Yuffie who caught wind of the entire scene was grinning. "Eww, Squallie's a pervert just like big Squallie!" She teased.

"You are not naming it… _that_."


	7. Cry

Aw, thanks to everyone to reviewing! Especially WishingDreamer5, you're so nice! I love this challenge so much, by the way. It's definitely my favorites, out of the 248075814 ones I'm doing. xD Anyway, I've updated a lot today… again, I'm bad at that.

So speaking of, check out my other stories? _Fire and Lightning, Sky and Sea_ - An Axel/Larxene, Sora/Kairi story. _Forbidden Waters _- A Vanitas/Aqua story. And _At The End of The Road _- An AU Vanitas/Xion story, that I'm reallyyy into at the moment. xP

And, also, if you're familiar with my multi-chapter stories, please vote on my poll! It'd mean a lot to me. :)

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><p><strong>Radiance of Time<strong>

:: number seven_. cry ::_

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><p>"Cloud at seven o'clock." Yuffie whispered, nudging Tifa in the side.<p>

Tifa blinked, trying to focus on the swordsman in-between the rails of the staircase. "How can you tell if that's seven o'clock! I can barely see!"

"Shhh!" Yuffie hissed, "Tifa, you're going to go along with this, right?"

Tifa sighed, shaking her head. "This isn't going to work."

"COME ON, BOOBS!" She shrieked, already catching the attention of Cloud from downstairs. (Which was exactly what she _wasn't _supposed to do.) "YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!"

Tifa began to shush her. "Fine, fine! What's the plan?"

"Okay, great! So I'm going to jump off of the staircase and pretend I die. Then you're going to come down and throw yourself onto my dead body and cry hysterically, and then we're going to see if Cloud cries. Deal?"

Tifa blinked. "Yuffie, you can't jump off of the staircase, you really will die…"

Yuffie's mouth dropped in amazement. "Really?"

Tifa nodded.

"Gosh, okay. Don't worry, I got a plan B. Just remember to throw yourself over my dead body, okay?"

Tifa sighed, nodding. As she watched the ninja walk down the stairs slowly, careful not to catch the attention of the swordsman, she smiled. This would be… funny.

Of course Cloud wouldn't fall for it, but anything for the sake of Yuffie. Plus, it was a boring day, anyway.

As Yuffie walked down the stairs, she began to clutch her stomach, wailing and crying.

"Oooooooohhhh!" She cried, wailing and bending over as she clutched her stomach. "The paaiinnnn!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow, turning off the tv. "Yuffie, what happened?"

"I-I think it's POISON!" She cried, now wailing her arms about to emphasize the word 'poison'. "I knew I shouldn't of tried to lift up that POISONOUS Mushroom Heartless's sack-dress-thingy! Aughhhh, the pain!"

Cloud blinked, standing up from the couch now. "I'll call Aerith."

"No, don't!" She gasped, now pretending to choke. "The pain… is so.. unbearable."

From upstairs, Tifa was trying to hold in her laughter. She couldn't believe that Cloud was actually buying it… this would be a moment to remember.

"I see LIGHT!" She wailed, "Tell Squallie… I hate his leather pants!" She gasped dramatically with a hand to her forehead as she 'collapsed' on the ground, tongue sticking out to prove that she was 'dead'.

Cloud sat there, blinking. He then looked up at Tifa through the rails on the staircase. "Good riddance, hmm?"

Tifa nodded, giggling. "I agree."

Yuffie sat up immediately, waving her arms about. "Heyyy, what's that supposed to mean?"


	8. Pain In The

Once again, thanks for the reviews. It means a lot to me. Also, I have a new story up. It's an AU Terra-centric story. Check it out? :) _Fools and Luxury._

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><p><strong>Radiance of Time<strong>

:: number eight._ pain in the... ::_

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><p>"Got any threes?"<p>

"Go fish."

"Got any fours?"

"Goldfish."

Tifa shook her head. "N-No, Yuffie. It's _Go Fish. _Not _Gold_fish." She chuckled, but Yuffie didn't seem so amused.

"No. You're wrong." Yuffie shook her head as well. "It's goldfish."

Tifa narrowed her eyes. "No, Yuf. It's Go Fish."

Yuffie sighed, putting her hand on Tifa's shoulder. "Look, tits. I know your goin' crazy lookin' for Cloudie and stuff, but it's Goldfish."

Tifa sighed. "Leon," She cleared her throat to get the swordsman's attention, "Yuffie and I have seemed to run into a little problem."

"It's Go Fish." Leon muttered as he looked through some papers or forms in his typical-Leon-fashion because he was Leon and oh so adult-y and cool.

Yuffie narrowed her eyes. "You know what, Squall? You're really a pain in the ASS sometimes. Do you know what a pain in the ASS is? Because it's you."

"It's Leon." He breathed, not even paying attention to the young ninja's ranting. It's not like she ever shut up, so he learned to drown out most of it.

Yuffie huffed and turned back to Tifa. "Got any sevens?"

"Go fish." Tifa muttered, smirking.

"Eights?"

"Goldfish."


	9. Happiness

**A/N: **Sorry i haven't been around much. Life has been sososoos busy. D: Please don't think I've forgotten about you all, I will try to update as much as I can. But at the moment, top priority is Radiance of Time and Fools and Luxury. The two stories I'm most excited about at the moment. :) On a brighter note, how have you guys been? Haha. Any new recommendations for stories? I've been so out of the loop.

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><p><strong>Radiance of Time<strong>

:: number nine._ happiness ::_

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><p>It was a normal night, just like any other. Leon opened his eyes, adjusting to the darkness of the night, paying attentively to the sounds that were coming from downstairs.<p>

He yawned and swung his feet out of bed, sleepily walking out of his room and down the steps. He makes sure to be quiet as he passes by Yuffie's room, not wanting to wake the ninja up because once Yuffie's up.. she doesn't shut up.

He makes sure to be extra quiet as he passes by Cid's room, because once Cid is up, he gets angry and goes on a cuss-fest that Leon really wasn't in the mood for.

The next down the hall closest to the staircase is Aerith's room. The door is open and he sneaks a peek through the cracked open door. There she is, sound asleep in bed.

The sounds from downstairs become louder, and faster. Footsteps. He knows exactly who they belong to.

Leon is calm now as he walks down the steps. Because this is simply just the routine. But he won't let it pass this time, he's going to do something.

Why is he so eager to help? He doesn't know.

"Don't tell me you're running again, Strife." He remarks, eyes narrow and glaring at the swordsman.

Caught in the act. Leon smirks, proud of himself.

He could oh-so-barely make out Cloud's form in the darkness, and all he could see is a pair of bright blue eyes and a couple of pieces of his stupid blonde hair.

"You're up." Cloud replies.

"Drop the act." Leon begins, his grip tightening on the railing of the staircase. "I'm not telling you what to do, but there's no reason to give this up." He motions his head up, toward Aerith's room.

"This?" Cloud asks, but already knows the answer.

It takes a long time for Leon to answer, and the silence is thick as ice. Finally, he parts his lips to speak. "Happiness."

Cloud nods slowly, understanding but not quite wanting to. He knows Leon is right, but if only he understood.

"Once you lose it, it's not an easy thing to get back." Leon explains, sad to own such knowledge. If only he was as ignorant as Cloud, with the world in his hands and not knowing what to do with it. "Hold on to it, Strife."

Staring out the window as dawn approaches, Cloud nods. "You're right."

Nothing is said after as both men go to back to sleep. Leon in the comfort of his own room, and Cloud in the comfort of Aerith's warmth.

Happiness is truly something not to let go of.


	10. Promise

**Radiance of Time**

:: number ten._ promise ::_

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><p>"Heyyy, Squaalllieeee." The ninja called, voice ringing throughout his ears. And much rather, the household itself.<p>

Leon cringed when she entered the room. This would only lead to trouble. She was an energetic mess and for lack of better words… he just woke up.

"Squallie!" Yuffie leaped into the bed, landing perfectly in a sitting position as she faced the swordsman. "I need to talk to you."

Leon sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. "What is it?" He asked, groggily.

"Do you believe in promises?" She asked plain and simply, the question hanging in the air. Yuffie leaned in with big puppy-dog eyes with a child-like curiosity to it all.

Now suspicious of how innocent she just turned, Leon forced himself to wake up by rubbing his eyes once more and yawning. "Yes." He responded, just as plain and simply as she.

"Do you believe that if a person promises something… they should keep that promise, no matter what?"

"Yes."

Yuffie narrowed her eyes, grinning devilishly. "I see. WELL, It reads HERE that ten years ago you made me a promise and it's written here in INK."

Leon eyed the tiny piece of paper from her hand and immediately snatched it, narrowing his eyes. "This is Crayon."

"Does it matter?" She asked. "Go on, read it. Out loud."

Leon sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I…" He paused before continuing, narrowing his eyes in disgust. "Squallie, promise that if Princess Yuffie Kisaragi's lips has not been de-flowered by her tender age of sixteen that I, Squallie, shall bestow such a gift upon her tender… lips."

"Gosh, Leon. Read it with more EXCITEMENT."

"Tender age of sixteen?" He snorted, now smirking. "Yuffie, I never made this promise. You made this up."

"Lies." She hissed. "Don't try to get out of it! Come on!"

"Well, this was written with a green crayon…" He mumbled, now pointing to her shorts-pocket. "And oh look, a green crayon."

Yuffie's jaw dropped. Now she had to be on her feet and quick! What to do, what to do.

And so, Yuffie did the only thing that made sense in the moment and slapped him. "SQUALL LEONHART!" She shrieked, "HOW DARE YOU MAKE MOTIONS TO MY FAMILY JEWELS!"

Leon just simply held his cheek, in awe of the freak-out that the girl was going through at the moment.

"i am a delicate flower, and while I'm pouring my HEART out to you about PROMISES, you're just looking there! Of course. It all makes sense."

She immediately began to storm out of the room after pretending a tear fell down her cheek, and with a slam of the door, she left.

And Leon actually laughed.


	11. Yours

**Radiance of Time**  
><em>:: number eleven. yours ::<em>

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><p>"Cupcakes, boys." Aerith called, catching Leon and Cloud's interest away from the TV. She smiled as she walked over to the two men, tray of cupcakes in hand. "Take your pick."<p>

The men gazed upon the colorful cakes, all decorated with colored icing in the shape of a flower. Leon had to admit, it was very beautiful but all he really cared was about eating it.

Before either men got to pick their cake, the rest of the house came rushing over to pick up their very own. And to top it off, Sora, Donald and Goofy was there as well, and knowing their appetites.. they must have took at least three for themselves.

But who could tell? Certainly not Leon, for there was an entire crowd surrounding Aerith.

The two swordsman gave each other a very annoyed look, and with a huff, they both waited patiently.

Aerith turned around back towards the men when the crowd cleared and smiled. "Funny, there's only two left."

Cloud reached over, deciding on one cupcake and as his fingers brushed over it, he immediately went for the other one.

That left Leon with the one. The one that Cloud touched.

Disgusted, Leon shook his head.

Cloud looked at him, blank. "What's wrongf? It's goodf." He explained, mouth full.

"You touched it. Its yours now."

Aerith rolled her eyes. "I did not bake these all day for you to act like a child, Leon. Please.

"You have it, Aerith." Leon muttered.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "What, do you thinkf I havef germs or sumthin?"

Leon smirked. "No, I just feel bad for Aerith." He lied.

Cloud broke his cupcake in half, handing his half to Aerith. "Problem solved."

Aerith giggled, taking a bite of the half Cloud gave her. "Please Leon, just try it!"

"OHHH, YOU CRY BABY! JUST EAT IT, IT'S NOT GONNA KILL YA!" Yuffie yelled, running from across the room as she shoved the remaining cupcake in Leon's mouth.

Leon, taken by surprise, choked by the brute force the ninja used. With the entire cupcake in his mouth, he smiled a very chocolate-y smile. "'Tis goodf."


	12. Loss

**A/N: **i didn't want it to be clear who's exactly talking. Obviously, it's Cloud and Leon. That's the only hint I'll give, but who they're talking about is entirely up to you. Hint: It's either Rinoa and Yuffie,, or Tifa and Aerith. You choose? :P

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><p><strong>Radiance of Time<strong>

:: number twelve._ loss ::_

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><p>"She's a great girl." One man eyed another.<p>

Neither was too great at expressing emotion. Both have ran away from their first love for so long, they weren't sure if they were ready to keep brooding, or if it was time to move on or not.

"It's complicated." One replied.

"She's not coming back." He hissed.

_No. _He shook his head. "She's looking for me."

"You're going to count on that, when you have a great girl in front of you?"

"… I don't know what I want yet."

"It's your loss, then."


	13. Brooding

**Radiance of Time**  
>:: number thirteen.<em> brooding ::<em>

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><p>"Leon." She hisses, the young Ninja places her hands on her hips. "Stop with your brooding act, get your tiny little butt over here and help me!"<p>

The man in question instead leans against the wall, arms crossed, one foot against the wall to support him. He stares off into the distance, in his typical mysteriousical Squall fashion.

Yuffie doubt that Mysteriousical was a word, but it felt right. Myst-erious-ical. It made sense, right?

"Are you just going to stand there, or what?" Yuffie sighed, finally seeming to tire herself out.

"I want nothing to do with this." Leon explains, still staring off into the distance mysteriousically. "It just seems rather unfortunate that I happen to be stuck here, since I'm on Heartless duty. You, however, are not. You just came along to bother, it seems."

Yuffie shrieks. "Bother! BOTHER?"

The young girl marches up to the tall swordsman, standing at an intimidating five foot two and pokes him in the chest, angrily waving her finger in his face. "Squall Leonhart, did you just claim that _I, _Yuffie Kisaragi, came to _bother_?"

"Yes."

"You… bastard. That Heartless wasn't going to cook itself, and you know it."


	14. Insomnia

**Radiance of Time**  
>:: number fourteen.<em> insomnia ::<em>

* * *

><p>He wakes up every night at four thirty four, on the dot. His mouth his dry, and the urge to pee is awful.<p>

So Leon slides his tall legs out of his bed, and groggily makes his way to the bathroom. Where he doesn't actually end up peeing, only to wash his hands and stumble back into the hall-way.

This is his nightly routine.

But for some odd reason, this particular night was different. He got up to pee, didn't pee, drank some chocolate milk and got back under the covers. By now, he should be sleeping like a baby, or whatever it is that actually sleeps.

It was five exactly, and he finds himself restless.

Leon yawns, finding himself helpless now and almost bored. He's up for the day now, but there's nothing to do.

Aerith isn't up to fix him coffee, or any sort of breakfast for that matter. Yuffie wouldn't be up for hours, and he highly doubted she knew how to make coffee. And if she did, he would never _ever _drink anything given to him by the hands of Yuffie Kisaragi.

He shuddered at the sheer thought of such an act.

Leon found himself stumbling into the room a few doors down the hall from his, and knocked weakly three times.

Nothing.

He knocks louder.

Nothing.

Quietly, he turned the door knob and let the door creak itself open.

"Cloud?" He whispered. Nothing.

He walks over to the bed, and gives the blonde man's arm a light shake.

Cloud. Went. Ape. Shit.

And in a flash of his eyes, Leon found himself on the floor, holding his manhood so dearly.

"Leon!" Cloud gasped, immediately getting out of bed to help the man up. "What were you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing." He croaked, his eyes tearing slightly. "I'll be off to bed now."

Obviously, Leon had let a slight case of insomnia get the best of him. If only he had just fallen asleep, he wouldn't have found himself on the bedroom of Cloud's floor, holding his man-hood, his only desire for a cup of coffee


	15. Awkward

**Radiance of Time**

:: number fifteen._ awkward ::_

"Oh my GOD!" Yuffie screams, running down the stairs. "I am DYING!" She hops onto the counter, on her hands on knees to scream into the face of Aerith.

Aerith stares at the girl, eyes-wide. "I'm not sure which question to ask first… like, why are you screaming, or _what _are you wearing?"

"I'm screaming, because there's a effin' HEAT WAVE, OUT THERE. SINCE WHEN IS RADIANT GARDEN EVERY HOT!" Yuffie screams, sliding off the counter. "It's supposed to be RADIANT! NOT THE FIERY PITS OF HELL! I mean, sheeeshhh! Remember how cold it was when it was Hollow Bastion? What a difference!"

Aerith can only grin. "Yeah, it is pretty hot today. Unusual for our weather, but I like it."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. So I took this as the great opportunity to show off my body." Yuffie grins, pointing at herself. "I'm wearing shorts…. and a bra. But you know what? It's okay. It's kind of like a BATHING suit, so it's not that bad."

Aerith raised an eyebrow. "I understand, but you _are _sixteen. And plus, they're a lot of boys around the house. You should cover up a _little_, Yuf."

"SO IT'S OKAY FOR TIFA LOCKHART TO RUN AROUND IN A CROP TOP, BUT I CAN'T SHOW OFF MY LITTLE BOY TITS?"

Aerith placed a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggle. "Okay, okay. Calm yourself. I'm making lemonade." She smiled.

Leon walked down the stairs and immediately into the kitchen, only to greet Yuffie's boobs. (or lack of, but whatever. It's not her fault, right? Well, whatever. Whoever thought she was flat-chested was a big 'ol square. A SQUAREEE.)

He immediately froze in his tracks. Yuffie could notice the muscles in his face tensing up, and his eyebrows immediately went in that 'I'm-Leon-and-I'm-mad-grr' way.

"What are those?" He mutters, or in Yuffie's opinion, growled like a cheetah.

Yuffie looks down to where Leon's eyes are staring at. "W-what? THESE? THESE ARE MY BOOBS!"

"Put them away." Leon said simply, and then walked into the kitchen.

"Is that an order?" Yuffie chuckled, beginning to giggle."

"Yes. Do it, now."

She hopped on over to the tall swordsman, placing her hands on her hips and sticking her chest out as far as the little guys could possibly go. (Poor little guys, apparently they WERE good for something.)

"What? You don't like 'em, Squallie?" Yuffie winked, lightly pressing her body against him.

He began to blush, not being able to help his eyes going down there. He knew it was wrong, but it wasn't his fault that Yuffie was so short…

It was almost as if his eyes were _forced _to go there. They had no other choice, really.

"I just don't want any guys bothering you, that's all."

Yuffie giggled. "Jealous?"

"..no."

Aerith narrowed her eyes. "Ohhh, this is awkward."


	16. Princess

**A/N: **I just wanted to say thanks for all of the reviews guys! I'm sorry I haven't been updating very often at all, but that will change. Promise. I also gave the story a bit of a revamp, because FFdotnet is a bit strange with the coding or whatever lately. So, it looks different from the old chapters now… but it shouldn't be too strange.

Anyway, I know I've been writing a lot about the Restoration Committee. But then i realized, I have a bunch of other characters at the tips of my fingers. My original idea for this prompt was switched with the next chapter. :P

So yeah, set during **BbS**. Terqua. :) I hope this fits with the rules! :P

* * *

><p><strong>Radiance of Time <strong>

"This world… is so beautiful." Aqua whispers to herself, taking in the sights of the beautiful blue skies and the fountains. The birds, the children, the gardens. All of it was so overwhelming.

"I know." Terra mumbles, following close behind her. "It's amazing."

"I've never been outside of our… small world. It's so surreal." She says softy, turning towards Terra. "I've seen so many things, Terra! Princesses, talking animals, magic, monsters! I thought that stuff only existed in Master Eraqus's books, Ter!"

Aqua began giggling. Terra started to smile so wide, for Aqua's excitement about the worlds around her was just so…. _cute, _for lack of a better word.

"I know." He laughed. "Sounds like your journey has been a pleasant one."

"Most of it." She smiles, grabbing his hand. "I haven't been many places yet. I ran into a few Princesses… which was, _unbelievable_. I didn't think they were real… they were so beautiful."

"Oh?" Terra laughed. "Tell me more, maybe I should visit them."

"Terra!" Aqua laughed. "You saw Cinderella, didn't you? Gosh, the Castle, her dress… everything. She is going to get married to the Prince. It was a real fairytale." I was kind of jealous."

Terra made a face, scrunching up his nose. "You, a Princess?"

"Oh, is that so hard to believe?" She teased.

Terra chuckled. "You're already a Princess to me."

There was a moment of silence, Aqua began to grow slightly red in the face. "Terra, you're awful at being charming." She teased once more.

_"Yeah, yeah. Let's go find Ven…"_

Princess, huh?


	17. Fairytale

**A/N: **I love writing. I really do. I may not be the best, but it's something I enjoy very much. That's all that matters, right? I haven't been the best at updating lately, but that's only because so much goes on and I get random little bursts of muse. And when muse strikes, I immediately update as much as I can! :)

Now, if I'm correct… BbS is 10 years prior to Kh1? That would make Yuffie… around six? ;) Haha. I hope! This is set during **BbS. **A bit cracky if you will…

* * *

><p><strong>Radiance of Time<strong>

:: number fifteen. _fairytale _::

* * *

><p>"You're a ninja! I'm SURE OF IT!" The little girl exclaimed, waving her hands around her head excitedly.<p>

The boy narrowed his golden eyes, unknown to the little girl who only saw her reflection in his black mask. His patience was wearing thin, and the urge to grab her by the throat and choke the life out of her was overwhelming…

But at the same time, Vanitas actually found himself amused. But before he did anything he would most likely regret later on in the evening, he gave the child a warning. "Run. Run away now, you little bra-"

"Why are you so mad? Is it because I'm right?" She smirked, putting her hands on her hips. Though the masked man before her remained expressionless, she could almost _feel _the heated eyes upon her.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone…" She began, her devilish smirk turning into a smile.

Vanitas opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

"That you're a ninja!" And with the finishing of her sentence, she burst into a fit of giggles.

Vanitas was amazed at the simplicity of a child. There was no reason needed for anything. Everything was simply accepted and understood.

"I envy you, young one." Vanitas spoke, pulling the child closer to him as he began to twirl her long locks of hair around his gloved finger. "For one day the fairytale you live in shall end."

But he wouldn't be the one to destroy such simplicity. How could he?

The little girl only smiled at this. "One day, I'm going to be a ninja too…" She grabbed his hand, small fingers meeting his. "And you'll see me again."

Vanitas stood there for a moment, shocked that she actually initiated contact. It was the first time anyone had taken his hand, and embraced him in some form. Eyes wide, heart pounding, he quickly stood up.

He had enough.

Without another word to the child, he turned on his heel and began to walk away.

"By the way, I'm Yuffie!" He heard her shouting in the distance. He could almost _feel _ her hyper form jumping up and down


	18. Smile

**A/N:** Almost two years… 17/50 chapters. NOT BAD, CAT. I deserve a pat on the back. *sarcasm* Let's get JIGGY WIF DIS.

* * *

><p><strong> Radiance of Time<strong>

Cloud tried to keep a straight face as Aerith took tend to his wounds. Picking out little bits of class as carefully as she could, she caught the slightest flinch from Cloud.

"I'm so sorry." She stopped, putting the tool down. "Would you like to take a break?"

"No." He replied, nodding for her to go on. He took a bad hit from a Heartless, and flew into a pile of rubble and now his arm was bleeding from his wrist to forearm.

She nodded and continued to treat the wound. "Leon received a wound similar to this, the other day." She began, trying to make small talk.

"Oh?" He responded, half-interested, knowing she was simply making small talk.

"He took it well." She raised her head up, her lips curving in a smile.

"Oh, and I'm not?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing slightly.

Aerith simply laughed and stuck her tongue out.

"I'll admit…" He began, admiring the playful expression on her face. "It hurt like a bitch back there, but now that you're here… I don't even seem to notice."

Cloud's eye caught her smile and the gleam in her eyes, and his world already felt lighter.

Her smile was from ear to ear. She felt her cheeks get warm and for a moment they stood silent, looking into each other's eyes. A mix of emeralds and blues.

"All done." She announced softly, pulling out the last shard of glass. "I'll get a potion." She got up, walking away.

All Cloud could think about was how he wanted to grab her and kiss her.


	19. Cloud

**Radiance of Time**

It's the crack of dawn, and Cloud is jerked awake by no other than Yuffie.

"Cloudie! Wake up!" She began to place her hands on her hips in a pose and smile widely after Cloud was done rubbing his eyes. "It's our shift!"

He began to ask himself how he was talked into patrol shift with Yuffie before the sun was even up.

He just silently nodded, too groggy and tired to even _manage _a sentence.

Cloud had barely gotten the chance to finish washing his face, because Yuffie was knocking on the door what seemed like the entire time.

"JEEZE! What are you doing in there? Building a ship? GET. OUTTA. THERE. The Heartless ain't gonna kill themselves, you know!"

He opened the door with force, glaring at Yuffie with water dripping down his face. "I'm ready." He grumbled.

Yuffie then realized she should try and calm down a bit, because if looks could kill… _sheesh. _He was worst than Leon in mornings.

Ten minutes later, Cloud found himself sitting on a ledge while Yuffie stood, leaning and searching everywhere and anywhere for any sign of chaos.

The sun was beginning to rise.

"Don't worry Cloudie, you could take a nap if ya want. I won't tell Cid or anybody, I promise!" She grinned, turning her head towards him. "I mean, I don't even really _need _you here. I could handle a situation all by myself!"

"Mmhmm." He nodded, resting his head on his palms. Patrol was something required for all hours of the day. It was absolutely unacceptable to leave the city unguarded. He understood that.

But pairing him with Yuffie was just cruel.

He preferred to be with Leon. The only problem was the light awkward tension in the air between the two, but Leon was a quiet fellow. Just like Cloud.

The only time they'd talk was when it was time for their break, and couldn't decide on what to eat.

But Yuffie was… well, Yuffie.

"… like I mean, don't you just want to go up to one of them and BOP it?! I mean, it's so BOPPABLE!"

"What?" Cloud turned his head, blinking. "Bop what?"

"A moogle! Like, I just want to go over there and BOP them over! Gosh, that would be hilarious. You know, that's the problem with you guys. You dunno how to have FUN! I'm gonna show you a good time today, Cloudie." She winked. "Oh no, not in that way you perv!"

"I didn't say an-"

"I'm just a baby, you know. I'm EXTREMELY underage. Hah, _just kidding. _I'm the great ninja Yuffie. A little man candy won't hurt anybody, y'know? But face it, man. You're just not my type. Sorry if I hurt your feeling or anything."

He just grimaced, deciding he would drown her out again.

"But Aerith, I mean. If anyone wants to bop anyone around here, it would be her and you. I'd just do it, you know? Just go over there and BOP it, man. That's exactly what I'm gonna do to one of those Moogles later, I'm just gonna walk over… and bop it!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"… In a different way, silly! You clearly don't understand what I'm tryin' to say here."

"I don't think I want to." Cloud admitted, his mouth in a straight line. "Let's just… not bop anybody and finish our shift, okay Yuffie?"


	20. Hero

**Radiance of Time**

"Sora's so _dreaaamyyy…_" Yuffie trailed on, resting her chin on her palms, propping herself up with her elbows.

She broke her gaze from the window, watching the Keyblade Wielder bothering a poor little Moogle who was on his way home from a hard day's work for some potions, to Leon.

Sora was a dork.

A lovable one.

But still a dork. Not really her type.

But Leon _did _seem to raise an eyebrow at her over his newspaper, but nonetheless, still nothing.

Yuffie didn't like this.

"He's just so…. handsome!" She blurted out, waving her arms in the air. "His eyes, I could look in them all day!"

Leon said nothing

"He's so _strong _and handsome! I mean, I'm looking for a _man _in my life! And there he is, yep. Standing in all of his glory."

This cracked a smirk out of Leon who once again looked up from his newspaper and now out the window, his smirk only growing wider.

"What'dya think?" She asked, turning towards Leon.

"Go for it." Leon said, placing his newspaper down and now his arms were crossed. "I think you kids would be… ah, what's the word? _Adorable._" His tone monotone, void of emotion and any sort of jealousy, and not even close to _adorable_.

Yuffie scrunched her nose up. "You serious?"

"Aren't you?" He asked, lifting his eyebrow slightly.

"Of course!" She crossed her arms now, mirroring his movements. "I think Sora is a capital H-O-T Hottie!"

Leon placed a hand over his lips when the door opened, trying to stifle his laughter.

That's when the hero walked in, pouch full of potions. Sora's face turned bright red and he began to scratch the back of his head.

"Uhh…."

"NONONONONOONONO, I'M JUST KIDDING, I SWEAR!"

"That's not what you were saying a moment ago…"

"SQUALL, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE MY SIDE!"


	21. Friends

**Radiance of Time**

"Cloudie, I mean, c'mon! Friends don't let friends with nice hands go without a manicure! JUSTCOMEWITHME!" The ninja whined, and Cloud was beginning to panic.

He had to think. Fast.

He couldn't fake sick, he couldn't say he was going somewhere with Aerith because she was already out with Cid…

Why was it so hard to say no to the tiny girl that stood in front of him? She barely came up to his shoulder blades.

"Er, Yuffie. I…" His sentence was quickly cut off, by Leon.

"He can't. He's coming with me." The swordsman spoke up, casually running his fingers through his brown hair.

Yuffie lowered her eyebrows. "Where ya guys goin'?" She pouted, crossing her arms. "Can I come too?"

"No." Leon answered.

"WELL WHY NOT!"

"Men only."

"Squallie, I remember you when you were prepubescent and squeaky. Don't pretend you two are all _macho _right now." She stuck her tongue out. "Plus, I'm not a girly girly anyway! I can hang out with the boys. C'mon!"

The ninja hopped to her feet quickly, ready to go out the door until Leon's arm blocked her.

"Yuffie, no." He said sternly, pushing her back gently. "It's me and Cloud today."

Leon looked towards Cloud and walked out the door, swinging it open for his buddy to follow after.

Right before stepping out, Cloud took a look towards Yuffie's small frame which found its way to the couch, hugging her knees to her chest.

He could tell she was upset.

He felt bad.

Cloud gave Leon a look, who just shook his head and Cloud followed after.

"i feel bad." Cloud admitted, once they began walking.

"Oh?" Leon said, hands in his pockets. "Did you want to get a manicure?"

Cloud said nothing.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

Leon stopped dead in his tracks and gave his shoulders a shrug. "Maybe the candy store?" He suggested, eyes looking up at the concrete and buildings of Radiant Garden, avoiding eye contact with the fellow swordsman.

"Why there?"

"…because I know Yuffie likes those chocolate moogle things..." He paused, awkwardly shuffling his feet. "or whatever you call them."

Cloud smirked.


	22. Help

**Radiance of Time **

It was capital H-O-T in Radiant Garden today. Yuffie could swear that even the Moogles were sweating.

Those little bastards never sweat.

Irrelevant.

So she suggested that they go to the beach. Aerith just _ate _the idea up, and Sora was even with them. With those two on her side, Yuffie was practically unstoppable.

Once Aerith suggested it to the boys, Yuffie was expecting a fight.

An argument.

A simple rejection.

_Something!_

But Leon and Cloud actually ate it up _too_. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Cloud agreed, and Leon gave the smallest of nods.

They actually wanted to go to the beach and get totally naked and sandy between their butt cheeks?

This was going to be an awesome day.

So far, so good.

Or it might turn into a complete disaster. Who knew.

Once they had gotten to the beach, Yuffie scanned her surroundings, unusually quiet. After setting up, she all watched her comrade's method of attack. Aerith wore a one-piece, typical. Hot pink to match the bow in her hair, and it totally fit her in all the right places.

"Whoa, Aerith!" Yuffie's eyes widen, her mouth forming in a gasp. "You totally got boobs!"

"Yuffie!" Aerith's eyes widen, giggling slightly. "Be quiet."

"Nuh uhhh!" Yuffie shook her head. "Those boobs could rival Tifa's."

Aerith shook her head, giving a slight roll of her eyes as she turned towards Cloud, who's hand she took and they ran towards the ocean.

Mind you, Cloud was looking totally _smoking _today. He was wearing light blue shorts, and he was totally freakin' shirtless.

Sora was too busy burying Cid in the sand, which was a pretty hilarious sight, Yuffie had to admit, but she had bigger and better plans.

Yuffie walked towards Leon, wearing her short cover-up dress. It was honestly the most covered she'd been in years.

The swordsman was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts. His arm muscles flexed as he laid down across a chair, relaxing.

_How could someone be so boring at a beach? _Yuffie thought to herself, frustrated.

"Squallie! Wanna swim?"

He turned his head towards her as she let her cover-up slip off her shoulders and down to her ankles, only to reveal the tiniest yellow bikini she could have possibly found in all of Radiant Garden. She gave him a wink.

Yuffie scanned his face (and lower body) for any sort of excitement towards the ninja, but nope. Nothing. His face still as expressionless as a loaf of bread.

"Sure." He replied, standing to his feet. He lifted his shirt over his head, revealing the most drool-worthy six pack she had ever seen.

Yuffie couldn't help that her mouth had dropped to her knees, but was grateful for hiding her eyes that were wide as dinner plates.

"God, it's like you're photoshopped!"

"…" Leon awkwardly shuffled his feet, running his fingers through his long spiky locks. "Let's go?" He gestured towards the ocean.

Oh she was _definitely _pretending to drown later on!


	23. Morning

**Radiance of Time**

He'd disappear for weeks at a time, fighting his own battles. He'd show up at the break of dawn, just sneaking into the house.

Like a mouse, Cloud would avoid making any possible sound.

In the morning when everyone noticed the swordsman was finally back, they'd scream, shout, and generally be upset because he left them for weeks to basically go on a suicide mission.

They had every right to be mad.

But she was the only one who'd look at him and smile, take him in her arms, and ask if he needed anything.

She was too good for him.

Cloud realized this. Many times he had tried to push her away, insisting she'd only get hurt if she got too close to him. But she never budged.

This morning at the crack of daybreak, he sneaked into the house as quietly as he could. But his eyes immediately reverted to the kitchen, as he realized someone was already up.

It was Aerith.

"Morning." She said, dipping her finger in pancake batter childishly and licking it clean.

Cloud stood there, awkward and confused. He'd been caught.

"H-How did yo-"

"I just had a feeling." She giggled, wiping her hands on a cloth before walking over to the swordsman.

Aerith placed both her hands on the sides of his temples, and leaned up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on the forehead. "I missed you."

Her eyes were tired, her skin was pale. But there was a radiant glow to her that made her seem all the more beautiful. Perhaps it was happiness.

This particular morning, Aerith had been there for him.

Just like always.

He sat down, and shared a quiet breakfast with her before the rest of the household got up, and proceeded to whack him over the head.


End file.
